Envelope opener



Dec. 25, 1951 LElNWEBER 2,579,744

' ENVELOPE OPENER Filed Oct. 11. 1948 11' xi? Q 15 an.

I v| JE. 15 as a4 JWMMZ /M' ATTORN s Patented Dec. 25, 1951 ENVELOPE OPENER I Peter Leinweber, Vancouver, British Columbia,

Canada Application October 11, 1948, Serial N 0. 53,975

2 Claims. (01. 30-294) to improvements This invention relates vices for opening envelopes.

Anobject of the present invention is the provision of a very simple and efficient device by means of which envelopes may be opened.

Another object is the provision of an envelope opener which may be attached to the envelope by the manufacturer, or which may be applied thereto either by the sender or the receiver.

At present, most envelopes are opened by means of the well-known knife-type letter opener. This means that a person frequently has to open the envelopes without the opener as the latter may not be found. It is the main purpose of this invention to provide a very simple device which may be applied to the envelope and sent with it so that it is always available when required.

This device consists of a guide which may be applied to an edge of the envelope, and said guide is provided with a cutter adapted to extend into the space beneath a fiap of the envelope near the edge of the latter. When the guide is moved along the envelope edge, the cutter severs the flap from the main portion of the envelope, thus opening the latter.

An example of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a partially formed blank for the envelope opener,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the blank shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the envelope opener, partly broken away,

Figure 4 is an enlarged end elevation of the opener,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the opener on an envelope shown in broken lines, and

Figure 6 is an elevation of the opener on an ordinary correspondence envelope, showing the relative sizes thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, It] is a rectangular blank having an arm I i projecting outwardly from one end thereof spaced from its sides. This arm is twisted at 12 adjacent the blank and formed with a flat portion l5 which has a cutting edge It along one edge thereof. The arm may be shaped at the time the blank is stamped out or it may be bent to form one or more substantially V-shaped sections, there preferably being two sections l9 and 20, as illustrated in Figure 2. It is to be understood, however, that there may be only one of these sections. These sections 19 and 20 are provided at their outer ends, relative to the blank H], with small teeth 23 and 24, respectively, said teeth extending towards the blank in Figure 2.

Figure 3 shows the finished opener. The blank in de- ID has been folded along the line 26 which is in line with the arm II. The blank is now formed into a substantially U-shaped guide 28,and the arm H has been bent around until it fits inside the guide with the teeth 23 and 24 bearing against the underside of the top thereof. The arm is preferably formed of material which is slightly resilient so that the teeth are resiliently pressed against the underside of the guide top. In this bending operation, the flat portion I5 is bent around so that the cutting edge I6 is curved and faces the guide. It will also be noted that the teeth 23 and 24 now face in the opposite directlon to that in which they faced in Figure 2, that is, they now face towards the cutting edge l6.

Figures 5 and 6 show an ordinary correspondence envelope which is made up with the usual front, end flaps 33, and top and bottom flaps 34 and 35. This envelope opener has been shown in use with the top flap 34, but it is to be understood that it may be used with any of the other flaps.

In use, the guide 28 is placed over an edge of the envelope at a corner thereof. The cutter or cutter arm ll extends around the end of the envelope flap into the space therebeneath. Actually, the cutter arm lies in the space beneath the flap and presses upwardly against the underside of the fold 36 of said flap. The resiliency of the cutter arm forces the teeth 23 and 24 against the material of the envelope. With this arrangement. the cutting edge I6 is in line with the envelope edge or flap fold, and when the guide is moved along said envelope edge, the cutting edge cuts the material, thus severing the flap from the main body of the envelope. The opener cannot accidentally move in this direction as enough effort must be exerted toovercome the resistance of the material to the cutting edge. The teeth 23 and/or 24 face towards the cutting edge so that they prevent the guide from being accidentally moved in the opposite direction to that in which it is moved during the cutting action. In other words, the teeth prevent the guide from moving in one direction, while the cutting edge prevents it from being moved in the opposite direction, unless it is deliberately drawn in the latter direction.

This envelope opener is very small, as clearly shown in Figure 6, and it may be placed on an envelopeby the sender so that all the receiver has to do is to draw it along the envelope edge to open the envelope. It is obvious that the opener may be placed on the envelope by the manufacturer at any of the flaps other than the one which is left open.

In Figure 3 the arm II is shown formed in two V sections. Although only one such section may be used, two or more are preferred. Since the two or more points where the teeth 23 and 24 are located form bearing points against the underside of the flap fold which prevent the guide from rocking onthe envelope edge. Thismalges it practicallylimppssibleQfor the device to beaccidentally dislodged from the envelope once the latter is sealed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An envelope opener comprising an elongated blank folded lengthwise to form a ,substantia1ly U-shaped guide, a cutter arm'conriecte'd'atbne end to an end of the' guide and bent around to fit within the latter, said arm h'aving' at least one substantially V'-shaped section with,- the loottom of the V remote from the guide fold, the free end; of said armresiliently bearing against the iunder' side of the fold of'the guidefacutting edge-"firmed on'the armat. the bend thereof and 3 facing"theguide aridjatleast one teeth on "the fifeele'nd, of theiar'm extending at an angle towards the guide fold. and'the cutting edge.

-2. An envelope opener comprising an elongated blankIfolded lengthwise to ram .a' substantially ur he g de i e em teemed at n end to an end of the guide and bent around to fit within the latter, said arm having a plurality of substantially V-shaped sections with the bottom of each V remote from the guide fold, the outer'end of the arm and the point Where each section Joins another resiliently bearing against fthe underjsid 'of'the foldo'f theQgui'de, a cutting dge'iormed on the armat'the bendth'ereof and ,iacing the guide, and at least one tooth on the outer end of the arm and each section join exgztendingiioutwardly therefrom.

PETER LEINWEBER.

LFEFEB S CITED "The following references are of record in t file roflthis patent:

PlUT DHS A E ?A 

